Home Schooling

My wife and I conduct home schooling for our 10 year old son. We decided to teach our son at home when he was in Standard 2 itself. The reasons being that no teacher will teach the subjects in a proper manner, a lackadaisical attitude of the teachers towards teaching (their time is spent at canteens), a very, very, very SHALLOW knowledge of the subject matter despite they being graduates in their respective fields, etc. The list of negatives is endless. My wife teaches my son Science based on the Singapore syllabus whereas I teach my son Mathematics and English. I took the bold step of introducing my son to the School Certificate Mathematics and English taught in the early 1940’s to 1960’s in this country. My father bequeathed these books to me when he taught me Maths and English at home. After two and a half years of teaching my son in a logical way, he is able to solve mathematical problems at Secondary 2 level of the present Cambridge IGCSE O Level standard. The English syllabus that he is doing right now is that of the School Certificate standard days. He is able to identify the different parts of speech, compose sentences according to the three different structures, write essays skilfully, etc. The present Cambridge IGCSE O Level English paper is peanuts! It doesn’t test one on the mechanics of the language at all. Apart from the above, I also teach my son History (of Malaya and the world) and English Literature (in little doses suitable for his age). This is the holistic part of teaching. I have an interest in education as I have taught primary and secondary students the English language. I am not a school teacher. I am currently an English Trainer with experience in the corporate world. What my wife and I did two and a half years ago prevented us from many headaches and heartaches.

THE REAL STATE OF EDUCATION IN MALAYSIA

As a Malaysian parent who is very much concerned with the state of education in this country in general and the education of my son in particular, I find the apathy displayed by the Malaysian authorities towards our education system very revolting. At the same time, I am not bewildered or shocked by their actions. They are expected.

When Malaysia introduced the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English under the stewardship of our former prime minister in 2003, I was not ecstatic. My wife was but not I! Deep down in my heart of hearts, I knew somehow that this policy will not go far in its implementation. The reasons are very obvious for even an imbecile to see.

First and foremost, there are three worlds colliding in Malaysia. These three worlds have been perpetuated to exist side by side by the political class for their own benefit and relevance. These three worlds are the Malay schools (national and religious), Chinese schools and Tamil schools. Each type of school has an agenda of its own with its vehement supporters (and also detractors). Throw in the private schools and international schools, you have an explosive situation ready to burst. As much as we try to delude ourselves into the false belief that these various schools (with their own agendas) complement one another and do not compete with one another, the fact remains that Malaysians are further divided and torn apart through the educational system.

The second obvious reason is the curriculum which is outdated. It is not challenging and does not STIMULATE thinking on the part of the students. Quite harsh words but aren’t they the brutal truth. Parents spend hundreds of ringgit for each child every month to attend tuition classes. Why is that need for them to do so? Does it make sense?  If a country has a good educational system backed by good teaching staff in schools, colleges and universities, the educational system in Malaysia will not be in the doldrums today.

The third reason is the teaching staff in our schools, colleges and universities. Realistically, only a minority group of our teaching fraternity in these institutions are truly teaching.

The time has come for Malaysians to take stock of the situation and turn it around for the sake of their younger generation. To do that, Malaysians need to be bold and take the bull by the horns.  Stop begging and start DEMANDING from the authorities! It is an unalienable right for every citizen of any democratic country to demand an educational system that brings out the best in his child.

Society cannot reward mediocrity for long. It goes against the grain of industry and the law of nature. A society that exists on this line  will eventually collapse prompting a ‘restructuring of society’ based on right principles. A state that thwarts and stifles its citizens in this manner will produce submissiveness and rebelliousness in its citizenry. Each member of the state has to recognise which group each member belongs to eventually.